CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

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AllisS
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CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby AllisS » Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:59 am

I wrote to Dr. Clifford McDonald, a senior infectious disease expert at CDC, asking him about computer screensavers and other informational materials, in use in Boston-area hospitals (and, I assume, nationwide) for the last few years, that proclaim “Alcohol based hand rubs kill bacteria more effectively than soap and water.” These materials bear the CDC logo. Their claim about ABHRs is contradictory to other CDC guidance that advise only soap and water will kill C. difficile spores. I've excerpted his reply below:

"CDC is in the process of developing a new hand hygiene educational outreach campaign for U.S. healthcare settings. This campaign is aiming to launch in May and will contain a whole new set of materials some of which will address this c. difficile issue as well as others that have come about since the guidelines were published in 2002. ... thus we have archived/removed these screensavers and others in advance of the newer materials to take their place. ... the following messaging/information would be promoted in our campaign, hand hygiene website, and training course: “Because alcohol does not kill C. diff spores, use of soap and water is more effective than alcohol-based hand rubs. However, early experimental data suggest that even when soap and water is used, the removal of C. difficile spores can be more challenging than the removal or inactivation of other common germs. Glove use remains the foundation for preventing C. diff contamination on hands and for preventing C. diff transmission and spread via the hands of healthcare workers." While cleaning hands with soap and water is recommended when in contact with patients with C. difficile, we also want to promote hand hygiene with every encounter, even those times when soap and water is not available. Additionally, any theoretical benefit from instituting the use of soap and water hand hygiene only must be balanced against the potential for decreased compliance resulting from a more complex hand hygiene message."

[End of quote]

So if you come across materials in hospitals and healthcare settings that tout the superiority of alcohol-based hand gels over soap and water, feel free to communicate, to office managers and hospital administration, that this guidance is now obsolete per the CDC.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Lisa33
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby Lisa33 » Wed Feb 24, 2016 1:24 pm

Thanks for the info, Allison!

Bobbie
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby Bobbie » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:17 pm

Good work, Alison!

How do we enforce this??? I keep a copy of my meds, medical history, and Living Will in my purse. I used to give the doc my copies. Finally got smart and asked them to make copies for their records and kept mine.

I am going to copy the new CDC info in Word, enlarge the font, include the proper hand washing technique - posted in CDI - Hygiene - and keep it in my purse. Will ask to have it copied along with other info. For each of the many docs I see.

The U.K. sent a pamphlet of proper hand washing techniques to hospitals years ago. Roy, do you know more about this??

Again, great work, Allison. At last the teachings of Joseph Lister, Florence Nightingale, and Clara Barton will be current again - or hopefully so. Will post info on other c diff sites. Thanks.

Will send info to other support sites.

Remember new guidelines not in effect until MAY.

AllisS
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby AllisS » Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:32 pm

I may have misspoken in advising that the old guidelines are now obsolete, since Dr. McD wrote that the new guidelines won't be in place until May.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

Bobbie
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby Bobbie » Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:35 pm

Still great work. Will cap MAY.

sister
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby sister » Thu Jul 07, 2016 6:45 pm

Regarding alcohol vs. hand washing. During my four hospital stays this last month with C-dif, a large sign was posted on the wall mounted alcohol gel unit that it was not effective for cleansing hands when visiting someone with C-dif. It directed persons on how to wash hands with soap and water.

AllisS
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Re: CDC is revising its hand-hygiene guidelines

Postby AllisS » Thu Jul 07, 2016 11:39 pm

Good to know that hospital posted this advisory. However, the hand-washing-vs.-alcohol-hand-gel instruction needs to be circulated more widely, not just in rooms of those who have active C. diff, as transmission can occur in other venues as well and many people in hospital are likely to be vulnerable to infection due to being on (or having recently been on) an antibiotic.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm


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